Cigarette lighting and air refreshing device



' LMASSON 3,551,092 CIGARETTE LIGHTING AND AIR REFRESHING DEVICE Dec. 29, 1970 Filed May 9, 1969 mvm'ron LUCIEN MASSON jazlzegcm, jzrz aas o/z QEafiow ATTORNEYS United States Patent CIGARETTE LIGHTING AND AIR REFRESHING DEVICE Lucien Masson, 256 Kaferholzstrasse, CH-8006, Zurich, Switzerland Filed May 9, 1969, Ser. No. 823,446 Claims priority, application Switzerland, May 11, 1968, 7,223/ 68 Int. Cl. A611 9/02 US. Cl. 21-119 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A cigarette lighting and air refreshing device including an igniter unit for lighting tobacco articles and a perforated chamber spaced from the unit for holding a heat vaporizable, air refreshing material. A heat conducting member connects the igniter unit to the chamber to transmit heat and vaporize. the material when the unit is actuated, the vapors passing out through the perforations into the ambient air.

This invention relates to a cigarette lighter and more particularly, to an electric tobacco lighting and air refreshing device for use in automobiles and elsewhere.

Lighters for cigars, cigarettes, and the like, commonly include a socket mounted in the instrument board of the motor vehicle, and a removable plug which is normally mounted in the socket in an open circuit position. This plug carries an igniter unit and upon movement of the plug with respect to the socket, the open circuit is closed. When ready to use, the plug is withdrawn. Upon the lighting of the tobacco article, an unpleasant odor often fills the interior of the vehicle from the lighting process and the burning of the tobacco article.

Accordingly, it is the primary object of this invention to make a cigarette lighter which can also be used as an air refresher to neutralize the unpleasant tobacco odors and provide a pleasant scent.

To achieve the foregoing object and in accordance with its purpose, this invention, as embodied and broadly described, provides an electric cigarette lighting and air refreshing device comprising a tubular insulating sleeve, a cup-shaped housing attached to one end of the sleeve for holding a vaporizable air refreshing material, passage means connecting the interior of the housing with ambient air, an igniter unit spaced from the housing and mounted on the other end of the sleeve, and heat conducting means connecting the interior of the housing with the igniting unit.

The accompanying drawing, which is incorporated in and constitutes a part of this invention, illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention, and together with the description, serves to explain the principles of the invention.

The drawing is a partial cross-sectional view of the removable plug of the cigarette lighting and air refreshing device of this invention.

As shown in the drawing, the removable plug, generally 30, comprises an inner tubular insulating sleeve 6 of ceramic or other suitable material having a cup-shaped housing 11 secured to one end, and a metal rim 3 secured to its other end. An igniting unit, generally indicated as 21, is mounted to the outer surface of rim 3.

Housing 11, sleeve 6, and rim 3 are held in assembled relationship by a cylindrical pin 9 that passes axially through these parts of the plug. As shown in the drawing, a flange 22 on one end of pin 9 engages the outer surface of rim 3, and disc 7 near the other end of pin 9 engages the inner surface of the base of housing 11 to 3,551,092 Patented Dec. 29, 1970 hold the plug in assembled position. Disc 7 is held in place with respect to pin 9 by a frictional clip 8.

The plug is adapted to be yieldingly held in shallow open circuit position in a suitable socket (not shown) and for this purpose, the walls 14 of housing 11 are cylindrical and slidably fit within an outer ring or metal shell 4, which shell is slidably received and held in the socket.

The front or outer rim 15 of shell 4 is flared outwardly to abut against the socket when the plug is inserted into the socket. To frictionally hold the plug in the socket, a number of spring fingers 16 are usually employed on the outer surface of shell 4. The inner or rearward end of the outer shell 4 is turned inwardly to provide a flange 17 that slides on the outer reduced surface 18 of tubular insulating sleeve 6. Disposed about the reduced surface of sleeve 6 is a helical compression spring 5, which bears on the inner face of flange 17 and on the base 19 of cup-shaped housing 11 to yieldingly urge the housing, the sleeve, and the igniting unit outwardly and into its normal inactive position, as shown in the drawing.

The plugs igniting unit 21 comprises an outer metal contact cup 2 enclosing a spiral heating coil 1, one end of which is electrically connected to cup 2, and the other end to a stud 20 passing through a central aperture in cup 2. Stud 20 is insulated from cup 2 and threads into the end of pin 9 to secure the unit to rim 3 and to provide electrical connection between the inner end of heating coil 1 and rim 3, so that the rim 3 can serve as one contact for heating coil 1 and cup 2 as the other contact.

In accordance with the present invention, means are provided for transmitting heat from igniter unit 21 to housing 11. As embodied, this means comprises the elongated cylindrical pin 9 which, together with stud 20, consists of a material such as metal having good heat and electrical conductivity.

In accordance with the invention, the cylindrical walls 14 of housing 11 are provided with openings or passageways 12, and the housing is closed at its open end by a removable cover 13. The pin is centrally arranged in the plug 30 and protrudes into the hollow space 10 in housing 11 a distance suflicient to provide a substantially annular space for receipt of the vaporizable material.

Preferably, the disc 7, holding the plug in assembled relationship, consists of a material of good heat conductivity to provide the best possible radial heat distribution in the annular space 10. Housing 11 is provided on its outer surface with a surface having good frictional properties to serve as a handle for the cigarette lighter that can be seized by the fingers of the person using the lighter.

A pellet containing a heat vaporizable, air refreshing material, such as an aromatic compound in the solid state, is inserted into the interior of the housing 11; that is, into the annular hollow space 10. The air refreshing material is 'vaporizable only at temperatures substantially above ambient conditions.

In operation, when the plug is inserted into the socket so that the electrical circuit is closed, the heating coil is heated to a red hot condition and upon the radiation of the heat so generated, the plug is released and returned to its normal open circuit position by the cooperative action of conventional bimetallic triggers (not shown) contained in the socket and spring 5. The heat generated by the heating coil is conducted through stud 20 and pin 9 into housing 11 where it is radiated by disc 7 into an nular space 10 to vaporize the air refreshing material. Upon removal of the plug from the socket and movement of the plug to effect the lighting of the tobacco articles, air currents are set up within the housing that force the air refreshing material into the ambient air. Since the pin and stud are substantially enclosed by the insulating sleeve a substantial portion of the heat conducted by the stud and pin will be transmitted to the housing 11.

Thus, the primary object of the invention has been achieved by providing a cigarette lighter with means to refresh ambient air that contains unpleasant odors resulting from the lighting of tobacco articles.

The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details shown and described, and departures may be made from such details within the scope of the disclosure without departing from the principles of the invention and without sacrificing its advantages.

What is claimed is:

1. An electric tobacco lighting and air refreshing de vice including a supporting socket in combination with a removable igniter plug, said plug comprising a tubular insulating sleeve, a cup-shaped housing attached to one end of said sleeve for holding a vaporizable, air-refreshing material, passage means connecting the interior of the housing with ambient air, an igniter unit spaced from the housing and mounted on the other end of said sleeve said igniter unit having an electrical heating element, and heat conducting means connecting the interior of the housing with the heating element for transmitting heat from the igniting unit to the housing.

2. The invention as described in claim 1, including a removable cover for closing said housing.

3. The invention as described in claim 1, wherein said heat conducting means comprises an elongated cylindrical pin centrally arranged in the plug and protruding so far into said housing that the space within said housing for holding the vaporizable material is substantially annular in shape.

4. The invention as described in claim 3, wherein said pin passes axially through and is substantially enclosed by the sleeve between the igniter unit and the housing.

5. The invention according to claim 3, including a disc mounted on the pin for radiating heat from the pin into the housing.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,850,076 3/1932 Hacker 21-1 19X 1,961,876 6/1934 Gilkey 2155 2,599,485 6/1952 Robinson 219-271X 2,727,976 12/1955 Cone 219-267 2,733,333 1/1956 Peters 219-272 3,006,042 10/1961 Calandra 21-119 VOLODYMYR Y. MAYEWSKY, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

UllITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Dated December 29, 1970 Patent No. 3, 551, 092

Inventor (s) Lucien Masson It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 3, Claim 1, line 11, delete "heating element" and substitute therefor igniter unit Column 3, Claim 1, line 12, delete "igniting unit" and substitute therefor heating element Signed and sealed this 9th'day of November 1971.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDNARD M.FLETGHER,JR. Attesting Officer ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Acting Commissioner of Paton FORM 90-1050 (10-69] 

